Gas Station pumped more gas than my tank holds by 1.4 gallons

Last month my gas light came on and I drove less than 3 miles to the station to fill up. Over the last 10 years I've never pumped more than 12.65 gallons into this tank and when the light comes on I can almost always guarantee that it will take 11.7-8 gallons if I get to the pump w/n 5 miles or so. I once got to the station on fumes (about 30-35 miles after light came on) and that was the largest fill I had in the car at 12.65 gallons, which I thought was odd b/c I have a 12.2 gallon tank.

So this time I filled up over Thanksgiving weekend and the pump said it pumped 13.66 gallons which is almost 1.5 gallons more than it should hold and almost 2 gallons more than what I expected from 10 years of filling the car up (when I get to the station minutes after the light comes on).

I didn't want to say anything to the owner b/c I know him and I wanted to make sure I knew what the car would hold but I know from experience what to expect.

So today I find out that the owner just bought another gas station across the street after owning his first one for about 5 years (immigrated from Asia/India) and I found it kind of odd b/c the station he owns is probably the least busy station in town, by far, so I didn't expect him to be doing so well. The other stations have 2 - 6x the pumps he has, stores 3-4x larger, in-store food prep, coffee, better locations, longer hours (open 20-56 hours more per week), and lower prices on gas and in-store items - so I'm wondering how he managed to buy another station with all that against him.

When I calculated the difference in price from what I expected (11.7 gallons) I ended up paying an extra 15% on my gas which really adds up when you have 4 10,000 gallon tanks and if he is making that much money on his pumps over-charging (by under-serving 15% per gallon), then that kind of scam/skim adds up really quickly and would make the purchase of a new station much easier.

Has anyone else run into stations that do something like this, short-serve on pumped gas? I know they are supposed to be tested but that is only done every 2 years here and IDK what the fines are, if they are low, then it is still worth it if they are making a killing at 15% extra profit. Also how do you prove that this is being done? I could weigh a gallon of gas but when it is an unknown mix of ethanol and gasoline, then it is more difficult to determine the proper weight the gallon should weigh.

id be going down there with a gas can

your cars gas tank may not be the same size it was when made and some cars have a reserve

a gas can dose no such thing

a reply to: DigginFoTroof


Call the state and report it. They will come out and check his pumps.

Gas station pumps are regulated under each individual state's government by a bureau or division centered on standards and weights. They are responsible for keeping the sale of gasoline fair for consumers.

legalbeagle.com...

Gas is already to damn expensive.

a reply to: DigginFoTroof


If you have your receipt, contact your states weights and measures.

Gas pump gnomes.
I thought we had driven them out of this dimension after the 70s gas riots at 5 points.

Welp, looks like it's hunting season again.

Stations in my state are required to have an annual weights and measures sticker on each pump. They actually come out and measure what the pumps are doing. You are basically accusing this guy of cheating, but it just might be you. So take a measured gallon can (one with a mark for a gallon) and buy a gallon of gas and see how accurate it is. If he really is cheating, report him. BTW, it's not about weight. It's about volume.

a reply to: DigginFoTroof

www.sciencedaily.com...
Why 'Filling-it-up' Takes More Than 'Tank Capacity'


Not sure if this is the case with yours

a reply to: DigginFoTroof

Bet you were into your tanks reserve.

I did the same thing pulling 7k pounds and not paying attention.

My truck holds nearly 2 gallons under empty.

It was crazy beacuse I watch the numbers close and this time it was waaay off from total gallons held.

a reply to: DigginFoTroof

So go sort it out with the station. This is not ATS thread worthy.

a reply to: DigginFoTroof

Well...there are State and Commonwealth agencies that measure such things. It might behoove you (and the community) to report this little oddity.

originally posted by: hombero
a reply to: DigginFoTroof

So go sort it out with the station. This is not ATS thread worthy.

It's in the "General Chit Chat"' forum, so it's perfectly acceptable ATS material. Don't read the thread if it doesn't meet your standards.

Used to work for a gas station back in the day. People would call the dept of weights and measures all the time. Usually, the phone number is written on the pump with the scale symbol. Give them a jingle if the pump was out of whack you will get reimbursed.

Temperature does affect the density of the gas. First thing in the morning when it is the coldest is the best time to fill up to get your monies worth. Find it hard to see it affecting 15%.

Would Donald Trump pay a contractor that was trying to overcharge him? If he is a friend then better talk to him before someone with a bigger stick does.

originally posted by: highvein
a reply to: DigginFoTroof


Call the state and report it. They will come out and check his pumps.

Gas station pumps are regulated under each individual state's government by a bureau or division centered on standards and weights. They are responsible for keeping the sale of gasoline fair for consumers.

legalbeagle.com...

Gas is already to damn expensive.

They put stickers on the pumps indicating the last time they were checked for accuracy.

That happens where the pumps screw up. Tell the owner of the station, he will be happy to fix it within a year. If you want it looked into right away, tell him you think his pump is giving too much gas and he will call the people who set them while you are talking to him. It will be fixed in two hours tops.

originally posted by: hombero
a reply to: DigginFoTroof

So go sort it out with the station. This is not ATS thread worthy.

Pretty sure your authority is not honored.

originally posted by: hombero
a reply to: DigginFoTroof

So go sort it out with the station. This is not ATS thread worthy.

General Chat worthy if you don't think so why read it?

a reply to: DigginFoTroof

There's supposed to be a number posted on every pump where you can call to report issues like the one you describe...

In the uk pumps are regularly calibrated to stop this kind of thing.

There is another possibility as well but before i explain that fuel tanks are set at a minimum when manufacturers specify fuel tank capacity.

They do vary by as much as 3 percent but something else can happen at the pump as well. If the pump pressure is to high it can shove fuel into the vapor head space at the top or the tank. This area is not supposed to fill with gas but if the pump is set to strong it can fill this gap as well. If a pump is set on high it may fill faster but it also creates more vapor.

One good indication of gas pump being set to high is if it keeps clicking off as the vapor capture gets overwhelmed.